The invention relates to a locking device of a motor vehicle for securing a displaceable, in particular swivelling or hinged or moveable, vehicle component which is displaceable with respect to a structural assembly of a motor vehicle and which may be continuously secured in a respective displaced state by means of the locking device.
Such a locking device comprises a first structural frictional element as well as a second frictional element associated to the displaceable motor vehicle component which second frictional element, upon displacement of the motor vehicle component, is moved relative to the first frictional element and thereby, under sliding friction conditions, with a friction surface slides along a friction surface of the first frictional element and which, in a position of rest of the displaced motor vehicle component, and under static friction conditions, with its friction surface frictionally bears against the friction surface of the first frictional element.
The capability of the displaceable motor vehicle component of being continuously lockable by means of the associated locking device thereby has not to be necessarily provided in the entire, at most possible adjustment range of the respective motor vehicle component. Thus, it could be quite sufficient if—depending on the specific application—a displaceable motor vehicle component may be merely secured in a partial range of the maximum adjustment range in a respective displaced position by means of the locking device. The range in which the locking device is effective is here also described as displacement range.
The motor vehicle component, which may be continuously secured in a displaced state, may for example be a motor vehicle door (e.g., a side or rear door) or a closing flap (e.g., a front flap or tailgate) of a motor vehicle which can be hinged away from a motor vehicle structure, for example in order to provide access to a vehicle interior in the case of a motor vehicle door or access to a vehicle motor or a trunk in the case of a closing flap. In this context, it may be desired to not swivel the respective motor vehicle component to a maximum possible swivel position, but only to carry out a limited swivelling into a partially opened position with a swivel angle being smaller than in a completely opened position. This may be for example then important if other cars are parked in the vicinity of a motor vehicle, which other cars shall not be damaged upon swivelling of a motor vehicle component. Then, it is necessary to allow the respective motor vehicle component to be secured in its partially swivelled position in such a way that it is not swivelled further just due to a gust of wind or due to a unintentional contact, which could just cause a collision with the adjoining vehicle. For this reason so-called locking devices at motor vehicles are known, cf. DE 10 2004 034 247 B3.
In this context, it is important that such a locking device ensures at the one hand a sufficient smooth movability of a displaceable motor vehicle component, such as a vehicle door, upon opening or closing, but on the other hand secures the respective motor vehicle component in a respective displaced state so reliably that even stronger gusts of wind or such the like do not cause a further displacement.